Chapter 864: The Liao Emperor

Until dusk, amid a burst of fervent cheers of "Long live," the Liao emperor's field headquarters before White Climb Mountain erupted into a frenzy. The camp gates swung wide to welcome Emperor Yelu Jing's return.

Urgent hoofbeats, accompanied by the camp's melodious horns, carried an imposing momentum. Hunting was like war, and Yelu Jing returning with his quarry was like a triumphant general, drawing the welcome of the Liao army's imperial camp. Spreading from near to far, it rippled through the entire field headquarters, and the soldiers accompanying the emperor, having grown accustomed to it, joined in with a few shouts.

Yelu Jing was obsessed with hunting, able to stay on horseback day and night without rest. As long as he didn't exhaust the troops or disturb the people, it was truly no great harm. For the Khitan, this was instead a display of not forgetting their roots—after all, they were a people of the horse, and archery and hunting, that traditional skill and foundation of survival, was worth promoting.

At the same time, surrounding and capturing prey inevitably involved chasing and combat, which not only satisfied his personal hobby but also drilled military formations, trained the soldiers, and showcased martial might. Moreover, imperceptibly, Yelu Jing's cohesion of military morale and his control over the army had also improved considerably.

Roughly a thousand riders, arrayed in a protective formation, followed the Liao emperor back to camp amid swirling dust, and the knights beside Yelu Jing had their bodies and horses laden with game—clearly a substantial haul. For that very reason, Yelu Jing's mood was evidently quite good.

Yelu Jing was now twenty-seven years old, with a handsome and imposing appearance. Especially enhanced by the aura of power, his sword-like brows and bright eyes, firm features, and cleanly shaven chin and jaw made his entire face look exceptionally fresh and sharp.

"Eh, the Northern Commissioner of Military Affairs is back?" He dismounted with an agile leap, looked at the three noble ministers awaiting him before the imperial tent, and his gaze settled on Xiao Husi, a hint of a smile appearing on his face.

"Your servant has returned from his mission to Han and has come specifically to report to Your Majesty!" Xiao Husi replied respectfully.

"Good! Today I hunted quite a lot, and even personally shot a wild boar—just right for enjoying. You've had a hard journey. Come, follow me into the tent, and I'll reward you with today's catch!" Yelu Jing said with easy grace.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Great King of the Southern Division, you must bring out the finest wine of Yunzhou to entertain us!" Yelu Jing then looked at an elderly Khitan minister following beside him.

"Yes!"

This elderly Khitan minister was naturally the Great King of the Southern Division of Liao, Yelu Talie, who had been stationed at Yunzhou for years, managing the southern tribes and prefectures, equalizing taxes and corvée, guiding the people to resume production, and strictly enforcing laws—achieving considerable merit in governance.

The spacious grand tent, inlaid with gold and jade, was extremely opulent, with decorations symbolizing imperial authority and status visible everywhere. Yelu Jing did not hide his enjoyment of luxury. As the emperor of the Great Liao and the common sovereign of all tribes, only the most splendid vessels could display his supreme status.

Removing his armor and fur cap, rubbing his shiny scalp, and smoothing the hair hanging at his temples, Yelu Jing looked at the assembled noble ministers standing and waved his hand: "Everyone, take your seats!"

Servants attended the feast, and fine wine, fruits, and meat were set out one after another. Several beautiful Hu dancing girls were summoned inside, and the accompanying musicians tuned their instruments, with song and dance about to begin. Xiao Husi rose and bowed: "Your Majesty, on this mission to Han, I observed the state of the Han nation in detail. Major changes have already occurred in the southern court's situation, which will surely affect our dynasty's stability. I beg to speak!"

"Isn't it just that Han has taken Chuanshu? Next should be sending troops to Jiangnan—nothing remarkable!" Yelu Jing replied casually.

"Your Majesty!" Seeing the Liao emperor not taking it seriously, Xiao Husi, rarely unable to contain himself, was resolute in his intent to speak.

"No rush! No rush!" Seeing this, Yelu Jing waved his hand and said: "First, let me welcome you and wash away the dust of travel. This little time won't matter. I'll listen carefully to your report shortly!"

Seeing the Liao emperor say this, Xiao Husi tactfully sat down and acknowledged with a "yes." The assembled Liao heavyweights weren't too surprised by the emperor's behavior, though Yelu Wuzhi revealed a trace of helplessness at the corner of his mouth.

This emperor—everything about him was good: clever, magnanimous, strategic. It was just this temperament that always left one feeling helpless...

And by the time Yelu Jing's "shortly" arrived, it was already more than two hours later. The sky had darkened, dusk had fallen, and beneath the night, the grand tent blazed with lamplight, flowing with radiance.

Dismissing the song and dance, clearing away the wine and meat, and replacing them with milk tea, the tent quieted down. Yelu Jing picked up a cloth to wipe his mouth, looked at Xiao Husi, and said: "The song and dance were enjoyed to the full, and I've eaten and drunk my fill. You may speak now!"

"Yes!"

"Your Majesty, on this mission I traveled south to Kaifeng and personally met the Han sovereign, conversing with him on several occasions. When I returned north, I received a personally written letter from the Han sovereign. Additionally, I obtained 1,000 jin of gold, 2,000 jin of silver, 500 bolts of silk, 100 jars of fine wine, and 10 sets of imperial utensils from the Han court." Xiao Husi first drew a tightly sealed letter from his bosom and presented it respectfully to Yelu Jing.

Hearing this, Yelu Jing couldn't help but be amused, saying: "In earlier years, I heard that the Han sovereign was not a generous man—when the Southern Tang sovereign presented him with lavish gifts, he only reciprocated with a few sheep and cattle. Now it seems the Han nation truly has grown wealthy, and their spending has become lavish indeed!"

Tearing open the unbroken seal, Yelu Jing's nose twitched—he could still catch a whiff of sandalwood. After finishing reading, Yelu Jing's smile grew even wider. He waved the letter paper in his hand, looked around at those present, and said: "In the letter, the Han sovereign's words are truly sincere and earnest. He reaffirms the friendship between our two nations, proposes to swear brotherhood with me, treat each other as equals, coexist in harmony, and hopes to remain good neighbors forever..."

Seeing the Liao emperor's attitude, the ministers present felt a jolt in their hearts. Looking at his slightly tipsy face with its smiling expression, they felt he was being deceived by drunkenness.

But soon, Yelu Jing put away his smile and turned to look at Xiao Husi, saying leisurely: "However, seeing how solemn the Northern Commissioner was just now, as if he couldn't hold back, I imagine he has other views and insights!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Xiao Husi hurriedly sang a note of praise, then said seriously: "Your servant believes the Han sovereign is a lord of tigers and wolves—ambitious, with designs on the whole world. The Han have a saying: 'honey in the mouth, sword in the belly.' Today's lavish gifts and sweet words are meant to bewilder Your Majesty and lull our dynasty into complacency. Once he has completely pacified and consolidated the south and freed up his hands, he will inevitably tear off his hypocritical mask and deal with the Great Liao. Moreover, how could one stockpile grain and arms, sharpen weapons and feed horses, and whet his blade against a friendly neighbor?"

Hearing this, Yelu Jing's expression turned somewhat more serious: "Speak more specifically!"

Obeying the command, Xiao Husi immediately recounted all his observations from the mission to Han again, fearing Yelu Jing wouldn't take it seriously. Compared to when he had faced Yelu Wuzhi and Xiao Haili, he spoke in even greater detail.

Perhaps worried to excess, with a self-hypnotic effect taking hold, Xiao Husi's fleshy face furrowed tightly, his expression solemn yet not without a touch of the comical. Seeing this, Yelu Jing was amused and said: "The Northern Commissioner's words are full of praise for the Han sovereign and the southern court—could it be that you've grown fearful because of it?"

Facing this challenge, Xiao Husi immediately said: "Your Majesty, how could your servant fear Han? It's just that the Han nation has truly grown strong and powerful now—I dare not underestimate it! The southern court is the Great Liao's great enemy. I only hope Your Majesty will heighten vigilance and prepare early!"

"You've said so much—first sit down and have some tea!" Yelu Jing waved at Xiao Husi, then looked at Yelu Wuzhi and the other ministers, asking: "According to the Northern Commissioner, the southern court is currently focused on taking Jiangnan—the so-called 'south first, north later.' Once it unifies China, it will certainly march north to attack our Great Liao! On this, what opinions do you all have?"

Seeing the Liao emperor finally getting serious, the seated ministers exchanged glances, and it was the Great King of the Northern Division, Yelu Wuzhi, who rose and replied with crisp decisiveness: "Your Majesty, your servant believes the Northern Commissioner's concerns and analysis are most reasonable and speak plainly to the prospects. Even two tigers will fight, let alone two great nations with deep-seated grudges and fully contiguous borders. Between Han and Liao, there is bound to be a great war!"

Xiao Haili also rose and said: "In earlier years, when the Great Liao made peace with Han, it was only because Your Majesty had just ascended the throne, the troops were weary and the people exhausted, and the four borders were unstable. The nation needed time to recover and develop, to pacify the prefectures and tribes, and to strengthen national power—thus it was a necessity, an expedient measure. However, the Han nation seized this opportunity to reform accumulated ills, enrich the state and strengthen the military, and launch great campaigns, to the point that now it has nearly secured the south.

With the strength of the Jiangnan states, they are simply no match for the Han nation. If the Great Liao does not intervene, the unification of the south is in the near future!"

The Great King of the Southern Division, Yelu Talie, also offered his view: "Since the founding emperor established the nation, the reason our state has been able to expand territory ten thousand li, sweep away the disobedient, and annex Yanyun in the south is all because the Han of the Central Plains were consumed by internal strife, with dynasties changing frequently, preventing them from posing a threat to our dynasty. Now their strength is already considerable—if we allow them to unify, the troubles will be endless.

Your servant has been in Yunzhou for many years and has observed their military and political changes. Take the Han general Yang Ye at Yanmen, for example: he has led troops in garrison defense for ten years without a single day of slack in training. What he aims at is clearly our Great Liao.

Your servant believes that although Liao and Han have maintained an uneasy peace for many years, behind the scenes, the hostility of the Han court's sovereign and ministers toward the Great Liao has never diminished!"

For a moment, the assembled Liao ministers seemed to have reached a consensus, their opinions highly aligned.